The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 coming off their bye week as they prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. If the Vikings move to 6-0, could that entice general manager Nolan Teasley to make an aggressive trade to put this team over the top?
Right now, despite being undefeated, the Vikings are likely behind the San Francisco 49ers in terms of the pecking order of who will probably win the NFC to reach the Super Bowl.
Nonetheless, Teasley came from the Seattle Seahawks, and he saw firsthand the team make aggressive moves, especially at the trade deadline. For CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, the Vikings make sense for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
“It feels like this team is about to hit that full reset button,” Sullivan said in an Oct. 21 video from CBS Sports. “Remember, they don’t have their first-round pick for 2027. That belongs to the New York Jets, who we were talking about earlier because they acquired Sauce Gardner. So, they need to kind of fill that cupboard back up. If you have an asset like Jonathan Taylor, it does feel like now could be the opportunity for this team to move off of him.
“He does not have any guaranteed money at the end of, really, it’s just after this season. There is no guaranteed money left after his contract is signed through 2028. You might have to invest a little bit more in him if you keep him. I think there’s a possibility they move on, and if they do, I look at a team like the Minnesota Vikings. That would make a lot of sense for Jonathan Taylor.”
Why Jonathan Taylor Makes Sense for the Vikings
Moreover, Sullivan explained why Taylor would make sense for the Vikings despite Minnesota having Aaron Jones. Sr. and Jordan Mason as their running back tandem.
“Yes, they have Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason,” Sullivan added. “That’s a solid one-two tandem, but you’re talking about a team that has three rushing touchdowns on the season [and] bottom third in the NFL in EPA per rush.
“It feels like if you are undefeated so far, double down on this version of the Minnesota Vikings. Double down on your chances of winning the NFC North. And by doing that, you bring in Jonathan Taylor. That is quite the skill-position weapons for Kyler Murray in that offense.”
Taylor has played 333 total snaps on offense for the Colts, leading to a 66.5 overall PFF grade.
Moreover, the running back has carried the ball 122 times for 492 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.0 yards per attempt on the ground and forcing 13 missed tackles as a runner. In the passing game, Taylor has caught 15 passes on 21 targets for 163 receiving yards.
KOC Issues Clear Outlook on Trade Deadline Approach
Recently, on Oct. 21, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media and shared the team’s outlook on how they are approaching the trade deadline.
“I think it’s talking about maybe some positions where there could be not only good players available, but maybe some value there as well,” O’Connell told reporters.
“I know he’s really excited about where we’re at as a team right now, but if there’s a chance for us to get better, if there’s a chance for us to improve our team, we’re going to have those conversations as we continue as that deadline kind of approaches. But at the same time, I think it’s important that I have a lot of confidence in this team right now.”
Vikings Get Strong Trade Deadline Take on Colts’ Jonathan Taylor